Final Fantasy 16 Producer Naoki Yoshida Interested in Directing Another Major Title
Final Fantasy 16‘s producer Naoki Yoshida has expressed his desire to direct another major title for the franchise if given the opportunity. After working on the critically acclaimed MMORPG Final Fantasy 14 for almost a decade, Yoshida, also known as Yoshi-P, transitioned to the role of producer for the upcoming Final Fantasy 16 set to release in 2023. Despite already having two Final Fantasy games under his belt, Yoshida confirms his interest in working on another significant title for the series.
“It’s completely undecided as of now, but if the opportunity arises to work on the next major title, I would like to direct it myself!” Yoshida mentioned in an interview with Famitsu, translated by Aitai Kimochi on X.
When asked about potentially adding more titles to his name, Yoshida replied, “‘I probably can at least add one more title to my name.’ However, by doing so, I would be setting my own ceiling and limiting myself. This in turn will also cause those around you to work according to what you set.”
Yoshi-P reiterated his stance from a previous statement made in January about the future of the Final Fantasy series, suggesting that newer developers should lead the way instead of relying on the same team. He emphasized the importance of not setting a cap for oneself and avoiding monotony in chasing new challenges with each project.
In other news, Yoshida confirmed that the PC port of Final Fantasy 16 is in its final stages of optimization, with an expected release within the next year.
“We don’t know what the future holds, so why not challenge ourselves each time? I think that’s definitely a better way to look at it. I hope that I can take even greater leaps to the likes I have not ever imagined,” Yoshida concluded.